its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all

Love is a priceless thing

"Diluc! I got a cake! Now we have to celebrate your birthday!" the man called, rushing over to put the cake on the tavern countertop. He giggled, face with a wide grin. His eyes glittered with excitement, although you couldn't see one of his eyes through his eyepatch, for obvious reasons. The boy beside him, Venti, smiled back at the blue-haired boy.

Venti turned to the man behind the counter. "Diluc, it's your birthday? A song shall be sung, shall it not? For life is too short and mundane for quarrels." Venti blabbered, clearly drunk. He grabbed his lute from his back and started plucking the strings. Kaeya wasn't sure what would be sung, but he hoped it was a light, airy tune. He knew Venti could play powerful music that packed a punch when delivered.

"I don't recall ever telling you it was my "birthday," Diluc questioned, a cold, stone-like expression on his face. He stared at the one-eyes man. Kaeya's smile faltered for a split second, but it was back and cheery as ever.

"Silly Diluc... you are my brother! How could I forget? That's like-" he was interrupted by the monotone voice.

"Since when were you my brother?"

Kaeya didn't think Venti had sobered up faster than he did at that moment.

"Don't say something you will regret, Ragnvindr."

Kaeya should've seen the sign the moment that sentence was uttered. Venti was never straightforward. The mysterious bard always spoke in poems and stories that had only made sense hours after it was said.

"What are you talking about Diluc?" Kaeya stuttered, looking at the cake. Can't we just cut it and be done?

"Kaeya we never were, nor will be brothers." Diluc snapped, putting the wine glass he was washing away.

"O-Oh." A pause. "Right. I'll... be on my way." He glanced at the decorated cake one last time, wanting to take it with him, but decided not to. Who knows, maybe his brother would eat it later.

Diluc turned around, seemingly careless. Venti sighed. "Dancing on intertwined nails. Oh, Barbatos, give me strength," he muttered, strumming the lute. He seemed to have realized what he said, for he started laughing. "Morax would kill me.." he whispered, cursing more incoherent words, to no one in particular.

Kaeya loved Diluc. That part was true. He loved the redhead like his brother. They were brothers, before the death of their father. Before the mess. Before Kaeya made the mistake of trusting the one he loved most. Before the truth split them apart.

Nonetheless, he still loved his 'brother', even if it was one-sided. Because if he didn't, then they would both have no one.

- - -

The battle between Mondstadt and the Abyss Order raged for many days. Refusing help from other nations, especially the Fatui, the Knights of Favonius, the nation's government, fought alone against the hoard of magical beings.

"KAEYA! ON YOUR LEFT-" The acting headmaster, Jean, hollered, shooting a bit of her anemo power at the incoming attack. Mentally thanking her, Kaeya stepped forward, slashing and dodging any enemy or attack that was blown his way. As the captain, the right-hand man of the Headmaster, Kaeya was proven one of their best fighters. 

"Reinforcements have arrived!" One woman called, from Kaeya's left. Looking towards where she was pointing, on top of the hill, was none other than Diluc. Diluc motioned for the reinforcement group to enter the attack, and the real fighting began.

Spells were thrown everywhere. Bows were strung, arrows were shot, swords clashed, and claymores hit the ground with a strong thud. Blood was everywhere, and Kaeya couldn't tell if it was the enemies' or theirs.

So caught up in his thinking, his mindless slashing, he didn't hear the warning until it was too late. With a gasp, he clutched the sword poking through his gut and watched as it was ripped out of him. With a blood-curdling cry, he fell to the ground, gripping the wound.

He felt commotion around him and then looked up to see red eyes looking at his.

Their mouth started moving, but Kaeya couldn't hear.

All he could hear was ringing.

"-eya. Kaeya! KAEYA" Diluc yelled, panic etched across his face.

"Hey 'Luc" the cryo user mumbled, slumping forward.

"Hey wait. No, No stay awake." Diluc sounded desperate, grasping the younger protectively.

"'Luc" He paused. Diluc wasn't yelling at him. He was too tired to care. "'Luc, 'm tired."

Diluc looked at him, eyes wide with desperation. "I know, just hold on a bit longer."

Diluc seemed to motion towards someone behind Kaeya, but Kaeya made no motion of moving. He wanted to stay in Diluc's arms forever. It felt safe.

The ringing came back

"I'm sorry Diluc, there's nothing we can do." the bard, no, the archon exclaimed. Venti/Barbatos looked at Kaeya with sad eyes. "He's gone"

"No, No, No" Diluc muttered. "There has to be something! He's the only one I have left!"

Venti/Barbatos turned around. "Freedom can never come for free, it will always be chained by those around thee. You should say your goodbyes "

Kaeya watched as tears rolled down Diluc's pretty face. He felt the same with his.

"Adelainde finally knocked some sense into ya, didn't she?" Kaeya exclaimed, coughing onto his hand. It was coated with a shiny red.

"No... I just... I needed someone to blame Kaeya. Im so sorry that it was you."

Kaeya didn't like the tension arising between the two. "Seems a little bit too late for an apology, but I'll accept it."

"You shouldn't. I was mean. I cast you out. Why would you forgive me?"

"Because you are my brother."

And it seemed, that in that specific moment, the gears clicked in Diluc's brain. The dots connected.

"I love you."

"I wish you said that more often. But, I'm happy I got to hear it from you one last time."

Diluc smiled.

"If I could change everything. I would've chosen to love instead of hate."

"Better now than never."

" I suppose so."

Diluc looked at his brother one last time.

"Goodbye, brother."

That was the last thing Kaeya heard before he slipped away, waiting and ready to greet his adopted father.